2256 - MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE OF THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL ADJUSTMENT ACROSS CULTURES AND EXPATRIATE TYPES |
Authors : Annamaria Kubovcikova - AARHUS UNIVESITY, Thomas Hippler - UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX |
Saturday, June 4, 2016 - Slot 9 (09:00 - 10:30) |
FSEG Building - Room 303 |
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Although the three-dimensional adjustment scale has been widely used in academic research on different types of expatriates and in different cultural contexts, the full scale has not yet been tested for structural equivalence across these heterogeneous samples. Failure to test invariance of a measure may cause biased empirical results and erroneous conclusions. Therefore, the aim of this article is to scrutinize the measurement invariance of the adjustment scale through multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis. The multiple samples utilized in this research amount to 1345 observations, allowing comparison between two cultural contexts (Asian and Nordic countries) and three expatriate groups (self-initiated, assigned and academic expatriates). One of the central findings of the article is the lack of scalar invariance in the heterogeneous samples, prohibiting comparison of absolute means of adjustment. The article sheds light on the measure’s shortcomings and puts into perspective the generalizability of the research results obtained through its use. |
Keywords : adjustment, measurement invariance |